Learning to Trust
by Darke-Angyl
Summary: Alyssa runs from an abusive home and starts living on the streets where she's found by Connor and Rebecca Macmanus. They take her to their mansion and, with the help of Emily and Murphy, nurse her back to health. She struggles with fitting in until an old friend of theirs saves her life and moves in with them to stay with her.
1. Chapter 1

Alyssa Vitanza waited for thirty minutes after she stopped hearing noises in the mansion. She could barely move from the last beating she had received, but she couldn't stand the thought of staying there any longer. She had bruises covering almost every inch of skin, several cuts were still bleeding, and she could tell she had a couple of broken ribs. None of it mattered. She was getting out, and she wasn't going to look back.

She hesitated at the open window, looking toward the locked drawer where her father, Carmine, and his best friend, Salvatore Anzellotto, kept her medicine. Shaking her head, she knew she'd never be able to get in that drawer without waking everyone back up. That was the last thing she wanted. The two shots she had in her pocket would have to work. Hopefully, she would be able to find more before the pains came back. She took another deep breath and climbed through her window.

She had almost managed to climb all the way down when she fell, hitting the ground hard. She groaned before getting to her feet and heading out into the streets of Boston. She spent her days hiding in alleys or wherever she could and her nights sleeping wherever she could find a safe place to do so.

Three days later, she was stumbling down the street. Her vision was blurry, her broken ribs were throbbing painfully, her throat was on fire from not finding anything to drink, her stomach was in knots from lack of food, and her head felt like it was splitting into a thousand pieces. She stumbled into something and fell backward.

"Watch it!" a voice called out. The man looked down at the obviously homeless girl, and his face softened. "Are you okay?" He reached out to help her to her feet.

She ignored the pain she was in and jumped to her feet, turning to run from the man reaching for her. With a grunt, she felt herself collide with something else. She fell again from the impact, groaning.

A second man turned around "Fuckin' watch it! She's pregnant."

She scrambled to her feet as fast as she could and took off running. Hearing the second man chasing her, she forced herself to run faster and then turn off into an alley.

The second man rolled his eyes, mumbling, "Some people's kids..."

The woman he was with looked at him. "Connor... I suggest we go check this out."

Connor peeked at her. "Ye sure?"

The woman nodded. "I'm sure. Something's not right. She needs help."

Not expecting anyone to follow her, the girl leaned over the edge of the dumpster that was in the alley, trying to see if there was anything in it that she could eat or drink.

"Aye!" Connor called out as he and the woman came into the alley and saw her. "What are ye doin' in there?"

She ignored them, her throat too parched to say much. She spotted a partial bottle of water and straightened back up with it, opening it to drink it.

"You don't want to drink that, sweetie," the woman spoke. "There's no telling where it came from."

She groaned as the man took the bottle from her, feeling light-headed and weak. She stumbled as she started to walk past them, still not saying anything.

Connor grabbed the girl by the waist. "Yer comin' wit' us. Ye look terrible."

She cried out as he grabbed her, his hands on two of the larger bruises she had on her. The pain caused her to finally find her voice. "Let go of me!"

Connor lifted the bottom of the girl's shirt to see what had caused her reaction. "Fuckin' 'ell! Where'd ye get these bruises?"

She ignored his question, taking a couple of steps away from him and passing out.

Connor caught her before she hit the ground, looking worried. "What should we do wit' 'er?"

The woman sighed. "Take her to the mansion. It's boiling, and the poor girl needs some decent food."

Connor nodded. "Aye. Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

She moaned as the man moved her, only partially conscious, her face pinching in pain.

"Shh..." he spoke gently. "Everythin' is gonna be alright."

She couldn't open her eyes as she pleaded. "Please don't hurt me."

He leaned over to whisper to her. "I won' hurt ye. I promise."

She slowly opened her eyes, looking up wearily at him. "What do you want from me?"

"We don' want anythin'. Yer sick. Yer starvin'. We wanna take care o' ye."

She mumbled, turning her face away from him. "Everyone wants something. Nothing's free."

He held her a little closer, trying not to jostle her too much as they walked home. "Sweetie, don' worry. I won' take advantage of ye. Neither will me wife."

She didn't look back up at him, trying to pay attention to where he was taking her. Her head was swimming.

"It's okay," he promised her, keeping his voice soft. "Me wife an' sister-in-law will take care of ye."

She shuddered at the thought of being locked up again, especially in a place she didn't know how to get away from.

"We're almost there. I promise ye yer gonna be okay."

She nodded slightly, even though she still didn't know if she could trust either of them.

As if reading her mind, he smirked down at her. "Ye can trust us. I rescued this one." He indicated Rebecca with a nod of his head.

She mumbled, "Just make the world stop spinning, and I'll be okay."

He looked down into her eyes. "We promise." He stepped through the front door after Rebecca opened it, looking up as his sister-in-law came into the foyer.

The woman gasped. "Ohh, God..." She reached her arms out. "Let me take her upstairs. We're getting food ready."

Connor handed the thin girl off to Emily. "I think she's dehydrated."

She opened her eyes to find herself in someone else's arms, not surprised the man had broken his promise already.

"Yer still in good 'ands," he spoke from beside them. "This is me sister-in-law yer bein' held by."

She pushed against the woman, her eyes never leaving his as she silently accused him.

"Don' give me tha' look. I told ye 'bout 'er. She's not gonna 'urt ye."

Rebecca spoke up. "Honey, you're okay. My sister can take good care of you."

Connor muttered, "She needs all tha damn help she can get."

She shook in the woman's arms, sweat pouring off of her and her eyes rolling back in her head.

"Fuck... guys?" Murphy commented as he joined them. "We need ta get 'er ta the hospital."

Connor nodded his agreement. "Let's. This ain't good." He growled as he watched Emily barely holding on to the girl. "FUCK..."

She tried to curl up into a ball in the woman's arms, one arm wrapping around her stomach. "I'm gon-na get s-ick." She clamped a shaking hand over her mouth.

"FUCK," Murphy shouted. "Em, give 'er ta me."

Sweat was almost literally running off of her as the woman passed her over to him. She kept one hand firmly over her mouth.

He quickly carried her into the kitchen and leaned her over the sink. "Let it out, Lass," he encouraged her.

She got violently ill, her body convulsing as she got sick. She was so weak afterward that she almost fell out of his arms.

He tightened his grip on her, getting her into a more comfortable position for both of them. "I got ye. Don' worry."

She tried not to cry out as he jostled her.

"Shh...," he soothed her. "It's okay."

She whimpered. "It hurts."

He sighed, holding her closer as he carried her upstairs. He looked at the others. "Those words sound too familiar..."


	3. Chapter 3

She panted, her heart racing as her body shook and sweat drenched her body. "I j-just n-eed my m-medicine."

"Medicine?" Murphy asked as he slowly and carefully carried her up the stairs. "Wha' medicine?"

Her teeth start chattering. "I d-don't kn-ow what it is. D-ad gave it t-to m-me."

"Shh..." He soothed her, laying a tender kiss to her feverish forehead. "It's okay." He growled under his breath as he remembered holding Emily the day he and Connor had found her and Rebecca. "Fuckin' flashbacks..."

She looked up at him in confusion, her teeth chattering despite her sweating. "I'm s-so c-c-cold."

"I'll get ye inta a warm bed," he promised her. He closed his eyes as he paused on the upstairs landing. "Not again..."

She held him tighter, not completely aware of what was going on as she tried to get warm.

He opened a door and pulled back the covers on the bed, laying her down as gently as he could. "Here. Comfy?"

She moaned, unable to answer as she curled up into a ball and wrapped her arms around her knees.

He covered her up. "There. If ye need anything', call out." He started to walk away, then stopped. "By the way, I'm Murphy." He shut her door behind him, leaning back against it and fighting down the memories that tried to overwhelm him. He looked over at his brother and their wives who were hovering around on the stairs and shook his head.

She cried out as her stomach started to cramp again, clamping her teeth down quickly on her lower lip so that she wouldn't draw any attention to herself. She curled up as tight as she could, trying her best not to cry.

Murphy heard her cry out and ran back in the room, sliding onto the bed and wrapping his arms around her. "Hey. It's okay. Don't worry. I got ye."

She tried to curl up even more, doing anything she could to get rid of the pain, shaking in his arms.

"Shh..." Murphy tried to soothe her, stroking her hair as Emily walked in. "It's okay."

She was delirious with fever as she shook in his arms, her teeth chattering as she tried to force herself to be still. Her dad hated when she showed any kind of weakness. She whispered, her voice barely audible, "Pl-please, d-daddy. D-don't h-h-h-urt me. I-I'll get b-better. I-I'm n-not w-w-weak. D-don't b-b-b-be m-mad at m-me."

Murphy looked down at the young girl in his arms, eyes full of horror as he continued to stroke her hair. "Shh... I'm not mad. Fuck. What did yer dad do to ye?"

She stared up at him, her cheeks wet with tears, as the cramping in her stomach slowly eased up again.

He fought against the flashbacks of Emily as he gently wiped the tears from the girl's cheeks. "God. Look at ye... How old are ye?"

"Fif-fifteen." She pleaded silently with wide eyes. "Pl-ease don't m-ake me g-go b-back."

He pulled her a little closer, reassuring her. "Shh... I won't. Yer safe 'ere. I promise." He smiled at her. "Yer a youngin'. Way younger than me and Connor."

She slowly began to relax as he continued stroking her hair, helping her to trust him. "H-how old are y-you, Murphy?"

"Connor an' I just turned twenty-four."

She attempted to smile. "You're n-not that old."

Murphy laughed. "We're getting' there."

She laughed, coughing from the effort and holding her stomach as the laugh turned into a moan.

Murphy sighed. "Ye need te rest, lass. Do ye want me ta stay wit' ye fer a bit or can me wife stay?"

She whimpered at the thought of him leaving when she was just starting to trust him, whispering, "Please don't leave me."

He scooted down in the bed a little more to get comfortable for the night, keeping her cradled in his arms. "I won'. Mind if me wife sits wit' us fer a bit?"

She shook her head, her body still shaking and sweating from her fever but calmer than before, and closed her eyes. She whispered one more time. "Just please don't leave me alone. Please." Before he could respond, her breathing evened out as she fell into an exhausted sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke up screaming, bolting up in the bed.

"Hey!" Murphy jerked awake, sitting up and reaching for the young girl that Connor and Rebecca had brought home hours before. He pulled her into his arms, rocking her gently. "Shh... Yer okay, lass. I go' ye."

She barely heard him as she started stripping her clothes. She was sweating heavily, feeling as if she was burning from the inside out.

"Wha' t'ell d'ye tink yer doin'?" Murphy demanded, trying to stop her from stripping.

"H-hot..." she moaned. "Too h-hot..."

He held her closer. "Shh... It'll be aigh', lass. I go' ye." He reached over and shook Emily awake. "Em... wake up, darlin'."

Emily stirred, opening one eye. "What's going on, Murph?"

"The lass is awake. I nee' ye te go fix an ice bath fer 'er." Murphy continued stroking the girl's damp hair, murmuring nonsense words to try to reassure her as he watched his wife disappear into the adjoining bathroom.

Emily came back a few minutes later to find the girl completely out of it. She was murmuring and shaking like a leaf, her eyes rolling back in her head. She hurried over. "What can I do, Murphy?"

"Stay close te 'elp me keep 'er calm. She's gonna freak out when I pu' 'er in t'wa'er." Murphy slid off the bed, keeping the girl cradled in his arms. He took her into the bathroom and slid her gently into the ice bath.

The girl screamed and started thrashing in the tub, fighting to get out of the water.

Emily tried to grab the girl's legs, gasping as the cold water hit her. She almost fell in the tub with the girl as she tried to restrain her.

Murphy gripped the girl's shoulders firmly. "Calm down, lass!" He kept his voice soft but insistent. "We're tryin' te 'elp ye. Yer getting' wa'er ever'where!"

She looked in his eyes, almost immediately calming down a lot. "It h-hurts. Pl-please."

"We gotta ge' yer fever down, lass. Tis t'bes' way I know." He moved some hair back from her face. "I promise I willna leave ye in 'ere long."

The girl's back arches up against the pain, teeth chattering. She let out an involuntary scream just before her body started convulsing. Water sloshed everywhere as she seized.

"FUCK! Em! Grab 'er legs. 'elp me git 'er oudda t'tub!" He stood up and grabbed the girl under her shoulders, lifting her onto the floor with Emily's help. He stroked the wet hair back from the girl's face. "Come on, lass. Pull outta it." Tears swam in his eyes as he watched, helpless to do anything.

Emily moved over to wrap her arms around her husband, crying silently as they watched the girl seizing on the floor. "Were Becca and I this bad?" she whispered.

Murphy nodded. "Aye. A' times ye were. I fel' like I was dyin' each time ye star'ed seizin'."

Emily kissed him softly, their tears mingling together. "I'm sorry you're having to go through this again."

"I's no' yer faul'. T'lass needs 'elp." Murphy turned back to the girl as she finally stopped seizing. He wiped the small trail of blood from her chin where she had bit her tongue and scooped her up into his arms. "Le's gi' ye back in bed, lass."

Emily hurried ahead of them to make sure the covers were pulled back on the bed. "Maybe she'll sleep a little better this time." She made the sign of the cross, silently praying she was speaking the truth.


	5. Chapter 5

Alyssa whimpered as she slept, the cuts and bruises on her body standing out against the whiteness of the sheets. Her face pinched as her body fought against the pain and the drugs that were leaving her system.

Murphy shifted in his sleep, worry lining his face. He sighed as he felt Emily start unfastening his jeans, not remembering about the fact that there was a young girl in the bed with them. A small grin starts to form on his lips when she reaches inside and begins to stroke him.

Alyssa reached out for the button bed partner's jeans, not even knowing who it was she was sharing the bed with that night. She just knew what was expected of her, no matter how she felt. She reached inside the man's jeans and began to stroke him, getting him nice and hard for whatever he might be wanting to do. She didn't bother to open her eyes as she kissed her way up his chest, noting that he had already discarded his shirt. When she reached his mouth, she kissed him deeply, plunging her tongue into his mouth as she stroked him harder.

Murphy gasped, realizing it wasn't Emily as soon as she started kissing him. "Wha' t'FUCK!" he bellowed. His eyes popped open, and he shoved Alyssa back. His breathing was heavy as he stared at her in horror.

Alyssa's eyes opened, and she looked at him in fear as she threw herself off the end of the bed and crawled underneath it.

Emily woke up with a start, looking around with bleary eyes. "What's going on, Murphy?"

Murphy worked on putting himself back in his jeans and re-fastening them. "She was givin' me a fuckin' han' job an' shovin' 'er tongue down me throat!"

Emily groaned, fighting her immediate response to get angry. "I'm not sure I want to know what hell this girl has been through." She looks around. "Where is she?"

Murphy sighed, getting off the bed and looking around. "Under t'bed, I tink." He dropped down on his knees and pulled up the duster. "'m sorry I yelled, lass. Ye jus' gave me a shock. Tha's all."

Alyssa cowered under the bed, trembling, keeping her head covered with her arms.

Emily leaned down to look under the bed. "Dear god, she's terrified." She laid down on her stomach and reached under as far as she could. "Come on, sweetie. Take my hands. You're not in trouble, I promise."

Alyssa whimpered and remained silent, not moving.

Murphy got down next to Emily. "Please, Alyssa. We jus' wanna 'elp ye. Ye gotta come oudda t'ere." He reached out with both of his hands, just managing to brush his fingertips along her arm. "Jus' take me 'ands. Ye can do it."

Alyssa slowly peeked over the top of her arms, seeing nothing but concern on both of their faces. She took a deep breath and reached for Murphy's hands. "I-I'm sorry I was bad. I-I-I thought that's what you wanted, thought it was why you were in the bed with me."

Murphy pulled her out as gently as he could, sitting up and pulling her onto his lap. He stroked her hair, and kissed her forehead. "I was in t'bed cause ye asked me te stay wit' ye. Do ye no' remember, lass?"

Alyssa shook her head. "Everything's all fuzzy. I don't know what happened before and what's happening now." She cried out in sudden pain, bringing her knees up to her chest. "OWWW! Oh, god, it hurts!"

Murphy rocked Alyssa on his lap, humming softly to try to soothe her. He looked at Emily with tears running down his cheeks, remembering doing this same exact thing with her.

Alyssa clamped a hand over her mouth. "I'm gonna g-get s-sick..."

"Em, grab that trash bucket!" Murphy motioned to the one by the desk on the far wall.

Emily got up and grabbed it quickly bringing it back just as Alyssa started throwing up. She looked up at Murphy. "This is more than just being dehydrated and malnourished. It's more than being beaten. Something is seriously wrong, Murphy."

Murphy nodded. "Aye. She's goin' true wit'drawals, jus' like ye an' Becca did. I jus' don' know wha' she was on."

Two throats cleared from the doorway as Alyssa finished getting sick. "Nee' any 'elp?" Connor asked.

Just as Murphy started to shake his head, Alyssa started having another seizure. "Fuck!" He laid her out on the floor the best he could, running his hands through his hair.

Connor looked over at Rebecca and nodded.

Rebecca spoke up. "I'm calling Simon."


	6. Chapter 6

Connor came over to help Murphy pick Alyssa up and put her back on the bed, looking at Rebecca as the girl stopped seizing. He lifted her legs while Murphy too her by the shoulders. "When's Simon gonna be 'ere?"

"He's on his way as soon as he finishes up the last of his paperwork," Rebecca answered.

Murphy growled, pushing Alyssa's damp hair off her forehead. "I wanna find t' bastards the' did this te 'er."

Connor looked at his brother. "We will, brother. I swear we will. No one deserves this." He looked toward the bedroom door when he heard the doorbell chime.

"I'll go get it," Emily said, heading out of the room. She returned a few minutes later with Simon to find Alyssa coming to. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching the girl.

Alyssa bolts into a sitting position, crying out at the movement even as she moves into Murphy's arms. She stares at the man who had come in the room with Emily. She didn't trust him, especially when he set a black medical bag on the bed and pulled out a syringe. She looked up at Murphy with fear in her eyes.

Murphy wrapped his arms around her, rocking gently. "Is okay, lass. Simon's 'ere te 'elp ye. 'e can make ye feel bedder."

Alyssa shook violently. "No! He's got a nee-needle!"

Murphy tilted Alyssa's head up to look at him. He tenderly stroked her back, keeping her eyes locked on his as he motioned for Connor to hold one of her arms. "D'ye really tink I'd le' somethin' bad 'appen te ye, lass? Trus' me 'ere. Simon is a friend. He ain' gonna do nothin' te 'urt ye. 'e's a very gentle doctor."

Simon smiled at the way Murphy was distracting the teenager. He wished all of the victims he saw had guys like the Macmanus brothers to help them through their recoveries. He took advantage of Murphy's distraction to use an alcohol swab to clean the girl's inner elbow as Connor gently but firmly held her arm.

Alyssa started to jerk away when she felt something cold touch her arm, but Murphy held her captive. His eyes and voice were almost hypnotic as he held her and whispered encouragement to her. There was something about him that she trusted. She never felt the prick to her skin as Simon gave her a shot of medicine.

Murphy smiled encouragingly at Alyssa as Simon gave her the medicine she needed to be able to sleep while the rest of the drugs left her system. He held her securely with one arm and ran the fingers of his other hand gently through her hair as her eyes began to close. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Tha's it, lass. Sleep. Ye'll feel a lo' bedder when ye wake up."

All four of them breathed a collective sigh of relief as Alyssa's eyes closed and her breathing evened out. As Murphy got her settled into the bed, they listened to Simon's instructions.

"She might sleep for a few hours or a few days," Simon explained. He hooked an IV into the back of the teenager's hand and showed them how to change the bag for it, leaving a few bags for them to have on hand. "This will get her rehydrated while she's sleeping. It can be taken out once she wakes. Emily knows how to do it. Keep her wounds clean and lightly covered with gauze." He pulled out a couple of tubes of antibiotic cream and boxes of gauze to leave with them.

"What about food, Simon?" Emily asked. "The poor girl has to be starving."

"The IV is enough until she wakes up," Simon assured her. "Then ease her back into eating. Keep her on broth, saltines, toast, applesauce, and things like that for at least a couple of days before you start giving her anything more substantial." He shook hands with the boys and hugged the girls before leaving them alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Emily brought Murphy in a plate of food, kissing him softly before moving to change Alyssa's bandages and IV. She tried to keep the worry off her face. "She's been sleeping for four days, Murph."

Murphy rubbed a hand over his face, taking a bite of food before he spoke. "Simon sai' she' be sleepin' a long time."

"Maybe you should go get some rest, baby." Emily came around the bed after taking care of Alyssa and slid onto Murphy's lap, holding his plate in her hands for him. "It doesn't look like she's going to be waking up any time soon. Finish eating and go take a nap."

Murphy nodded. "I guess yer righ'. I jus' 'ate te leave 'er alone." He took her hand. "She reminds me so much o' ye."

"She's not alone, Murphy. She has four people here who are going to take care of her, no matter what. She's going to be fine." Emily kissed him tenderly, looking deep in his eyes. "We're gonna make sure of that."

Murphy nodded, finishing his food before allowing Emily to pull him from Alyssa's room down to their own. He fell into bed with her at his side, falling asleep within moments.

Alyssa woke up, feeling more alert than she could remember ever feeling before, but she was confused. She wasn't exactly sure where she was. She felt a pull in the back of her left hand and looked down to find an IV stuck in the back of it. She looked around, feeling even more confused. The room she was in looked more like a bedroom than a hospital room. She tried to swallow, but her mouth and throat were very dry and felt like they were lined with sandpaper. Instead, she tried to get up.

"Whoa, lass," a voice spoke from the doorway.

Alyssa looked over, her confusion changing into recognition. "Connor," she said with relief. "What happened?"

"Simon gave ye medicine ye needed te 'elp ye gi' bedder," Connor explained as he came into the room. He studied her closely. "Ye look a lo' bedder than ye did b'for. How ye feelin'?"

Alyssa tried to swallow so she could speak, reaching up to cup the front of her throat with the hand that didn't have the IV in it.

"Jus' a sec," Connor said. He sat on the side of the bed and reached for the glass of ice water Rebecca had put on the bedside table. He scooped a piece of ice out of it leaned over to gently rub it across Alyssa's dry lips.

Alyssa licked her lips as the ice coated them, coaxing the liquid into her mouth. "Mmm..."

"Lemme give ye a lil' more b'for ye try te talk," Connor suggested, wincing at how rough the girl's voice sounded. He smiled encouragingly as she nodded. "We'll gi' ye talkin' and a little more awake, an' I'll gi' Emily in 'ere te take the' IV oudda yer han'."

Alyssa mouthed 'thank you' to him as she swallowed the small amount of liquid that was dripping in her mouth from the ice.


	8. Chapter 8

Connor smiled as he fed Alyssa a third ice cube. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "'m gonna go ge' Em. I'll be righ' back." He left the room to go get Em, knocking and poking his head in their bedroom.

Emily looked up and put her finger to her lips. "What is it, Connor? I finally convinced Murphy to get some sleep."

Connor nodded, lowering his voice. "Th' girl's awake an' wantin' th' IV out. I fed 'er a coupla ice cubes 'for I came te ge' ye."

Emily smiled. "I don't blame her." She slipped off the bed and kissed Murphy's forehead before following her brother in law out of the room and down the hall.

Alyssa looked over as the bedroom door opened. She tried to sit up, her hand going to her head as the room began to spin.

"Easy, lass," Connor said. He slipped onto the bed beside her and put an arm around her to support her.

Emily walked to the other side of the bed. "I'll go heat up some broth for you as soon as I get this IV out," she promised, reaching for Alyssa's hand. She carefully took out the IV, even placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand when she was finished. "I'll be back soon with some broth for you to drink."

Alyssa flexed her hand, leaning heavily against Connor. "Thank you for helping me. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for all of you."

Rebecca spoke from the doorway, one hand resting on her pregnant stomach. "We weren't going to leave you out there all alone, Alyssa." She moaned, moving closer to the bed and sitting on Connor's other side.

"Ye okay, babe?" Connor asked, wrapping his other arm around Rebecca's waist.

Rebecca nodded, laughing softly. "I'm just a little pregnant." She looked over at Alyssa. "How are you feeling, honey? You're looking a lot better." She smiled encouragingly.

Alyssa smiled shyly. "I feel better than I have in a long time," she admitted. "Even if I'm sore."

Emily came back with the broth. "Sip this slowly, and it should help you feel even better," she commented.

Alyssa took the cup from Emily and sipped it. "Mmm... This tastes so good..."

"Yer awake!" Murphy exclaimed from the open door. He walked to the far side of the bed and sat down on Alyssa's other side.

"Murphy!" Alyssa's raw sounding voice called out, reaching for him.

Connor started laughing. "I tink someone 'as a crush!"

Alyssa shuddered at the thought of anything like that. "No. I don't." She wasn't sure what she felt for Murphy, but she was sure it wasn't anything like that. She shook her head again, trembling.

Murphy squeezed Alyssa's shoulders, looking up at the others. "Donna worry 'bou' it, lass. No one tinks the'. Connor's jus' bein' 'is normal self."

"'m an ass, Lyssa. Ye'll ge' used te it." Connor grinned at Alyssa, wiggling his eyebrows.

Alyssa laughed before turning serious, looking at Emily and Rebecca. "I'll be up and around in a little while. I promise. What would you like done first?"

Emily and Rebecca exchanged puzzled looks before Rebecca responded. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

Alyssa looked confused. "What would you like cleaned first – the floors, the windows, specific rooms?" She sipped some more of the broth, its warmth spreading through her body and making her feel even better.

Emily looked alarmed. "You're not about to do housework, Alyssa. We might let you help out a little once you're better, but definitely not now. You've got to heal."

Alyssa looked over at Murphy. "Then what am I supposed to do? No one is this nice without wanting something in return. You must want something."

Murphy hugged Alyssa. "We wan' ye te ge' well, lass. Tha's all."

They all looked toward the door when the doorbell sounded.

"Are we expecting company?" Emily asked.

Alyssa got up and walked toward the window, looking down, glad that the window looked onto the front lawn. She recognized the car and dropped the cup of broth she held, letting out a weak scream. Her knees buckled as she gripped the window sill. "NO! They found me!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh, hell no!" Rebecca shouted. She hurried from the bedroom and down the stairs to answer the door. She smiled sweetly as she pulled the door open. "May I help you?"

"Get the hell out of my way, bitch. I know you have my daughter." One of the two men standing in the doorway shoved Rebecca out of the way and headed for the stairs. "Where is she?!"

"No where you'll ever find her," Murphy responded, running down the stairs and catching the man with a right hook.

Alyssa cringed as the sounds of a major fight carried up to them from downstairs. She took a few deep breaths to try to calm down then ran from the room before Connor or Emily could stop her. She stood at the top of the stairs and looked in horror at the scene below her.

Rebecca was locked in a struggle with Salvatore Anzellotto, her father's best friend and one of the men who had tormented Alyssa her entire life.

A few steps away, Murphy was fighting Alyssa's father, Carmine Vitanza.

Both fights were deadly, the four fighters determined to kill their opponents. Alyssa stood poised at the top of the stairs, debating what to do. She saw Salvatore reach back for the knife he kept concealed at the middle of his back and reacted on instinct. She jumped over the banister and landed on Salvatore's back, causing him to stumble away from Rebecca.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Rebecca moved quickly and shot Carmine three times in rapid succession as he and Murphy continued to struggle. As the two men went down, she started looking around for Alyssa and Salvatore.

Alyssa was in pain. Her eyes rolled back in her head as Salvatore grabbed her and pulled her off his back and over his head. She saw stars as her body was slammed into the marble floor of the foyer. Before she had a chance to react, Salvatore's full weight was on top of her, and she was staring up into his lifeless eyes. She tried pushing him off, but she was still too weak. The little fighting she had done to try to help out had zapped all of her strength. She screamed as the knowledge that Salvatore was dead sunk in. "NNNOOOOOO!"

Murphy and Rebecca dropped their guns and hurried over. Murphy grabbed the body off the top of Alyssa, and Rebecca scooped the teenager up into her arms as Connor and Emily hurried down the stairs.

"We go' disposal duty," Connor said as they surveyed the foyer.

"Any idea who they are?" Emily asked.

Alyssa sighed against Rebecca's neck, fighting back tears. She pointed a trembling finger toward the man Rebecca had shot. "That's my dad, Carmine Vitanza," she informed them. "The other one is his best friend, Salvatore Anzellotto."

Rebecca held her tighter, rocking her gently. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie. Shh..." She looked at Murphy who nodded and came to take Alyssa out of Rebecca's arms and carry her back upstairs.

Alyssa held Murphy as tight as she could as he carried her back into the bedroom that had been set up for her. "They're dead," she stated, staring off in shock. "They're dead. Oh, my god. They're dead!"

Murphy laid Alyssa out carefully on the bed. "Try te calm down, Alyssa. Look at me." He sat beside her on the bed and took her hand in his, reaching out to brush some hair back from the girl's face.

Alyssa turned her head and looked up at Murphy, not really seeing him that clearly. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Murphy smoothed the hair back from Alyssa's face again, leaning down to kiss her forehead as he covered her up. "Alyssa, are they th' ones who hurt ye?" He squeezed her hand reassuringly as Rebecca came in with a glass of water. He took the glass and slid his arm under Alyssa's neck to help her sit up a little so she could drink some of the water.

Alyssa nodded as Murphy laid her back down, watching as he set the glass on the bedside table. She bit down hard on her lower lip, feeling blood run down her chin but not caring.

"Alyssa!" Rebecca exclaimed, grabbing a tissue out of the box on the bedside table and passing it over to Murphy so he could catch the blood. "Don't do that!"

Alyssa's lip trembled as she tried not to cry. She stared up at both of them. "I'll never find her now!"

"Find who, honey?" Rebecca tilted her head to the side, looking curiously at Alyssa.

"My daughter!" Alyssa wailed, curling up on her side, sobbing.


	10. Chapter 10

Alyssa let out a blood curdling scream as Salvatore fell on top of her. Her heart pounded as she stared up into his lifeless eyes, feeling like he would never let her go... even in death. She tried pushing him off of her, but she was still too weak to be able to do it.

Murphy rushed over to Alyssa as Connor rand down the stairs to make sure Rebecca was okay. He dropped down on his knees, shoved the body off of her, and pulled her into his arms. "Yer okay," he whispered, rocking her gently. "I go' ye."

Alyssa stared straight ahead, trembling like a leaf. "Cara," she whispered as she clung to Murphy. "Cara... I'll never find you now!" She began to cry, heart wrenching sobs that seemed to have no end.

"Shh..." Murphy spoke soothingly, stroking Alyssa's hair. He looked up as Connor, Emily, and Rebecca came over.

"Who's Cara, lass?" Connor asked gently. He had a sick feeling he already knew the answer as he exchanged looked with Emily, Murphy, and Rebecca.

Alyssa took a few shaky breaths to try to calm down. "My d... d... d... daughter. I'll never find her now!"

Rebecca gasped in shock. "You have a daughter? You're only sixteen!"

Alyssa didn't respond as she buried her face in Murphy's neck and sobbed.

Murphy pulled back and gently lifted Alyssa's head so he could look in her eyes. "Da man on top o' ye, dat was Cara's da?"

Alyssa nodded. "Salvatore. He was my dad's best friend. He took Cara from me the day she was born three years ago."

"Who's your dad, Alyssa?" Emily inquired.

Alyssa looked at each of them before pointing a shaking finger at the other man. "His name is Carmine Vitanzo."

Murphy stood up slowly, keeping Alyssa cradled in his arms. He carried her back upstairs to the bedroom they had given her and laid her down on the bed. He covered her up before stretching out beside her, gently stroking her hair. "We'll figure som'tin' ou', lass. Don' worry." He looked up and met Connor's eyes before speaking again. "I promise ye'll see Cara agin some day soon."

Alyssa looked up at Murphy, her tear-filled eyes full of love. "Thank you," she whispered as her eyes slowly slid closed. She was soon sleeping peacefully, snuggled up against Murphy's side.

"I wonder how long she'll sleep this time," Rebecca commented, laying her head over on Connor's shoulder.

"I don't imagine much longer than she has been," Emily responded. She stepped over and leaned down to kiss Murphy. "Why don't you stay here in case she wakes up? Connor and Rebecca can go get some sleep."

"Aye," Murphy agreed. "Wha' are ye gonna do, lass?"

"I'm going to make her something special," Emily answered. "I need to cook." She kissed him once more before leaving.

"Becca's gone te bed. I'll take care o' da bodies 'fore I join 'er," Connor said, leaving before Murphy could even offer to help him.

With a sigh, Murphy slid down a little further on the bed and got himself comfortable. Within minutes, he had joined Alyssa in sleep, his arms wrapped protectively around her. There was a small smile on both of their faces.

Emily came back a while later with two trays of food, knowing that Murphy could almost always be counted on to eat something. She put the trays on the bedside table and then just stood there, watching them.

Alyssa woke up, eyes wide until she remembered where she was. She nodded when she saw Emily put her finger to her lips. With Emily's help, she extricated herself from Murphy's arms and sat up.

Emily smiled as she fixed the pillows behind Alyssa's back so she could sit up to eat but still be relaxed. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything for pain?"

Alyssa ground her teeth together and shook her head, studying the food on the tray that Emily sat across her lap. She had never seen some of the things before.

Emily sat on the edge of the bed in shock. "Alyssa, do you know what any of this is?"

Alyssa bit her lip. She pointed to the glass of white stuff. "That's milk." She pointed to some brown liquid covering something white. "That looks like soup broth." She pointed to something else. "And that looks like bread, but it's too soft, and it's shaped wrong. Oh, and I've seen those green things before, but I don't know what they are."

Emily sighed and started explaining as she fought tears. "The green things are called green beans. The soup looking broth is called gravy. That's covering the mashed potatoes. The too soft bread is called a hot roll." She pointed to some noodles in yellow sauce. "That's called macaroni and cheese, and the other thing is chicken." She picked up the fork and held it out. "What have they always fed you, sweetie?"

Alyssa looked from her to Murphy, who was waking up, and then back again. "I mostly ate soup or ravioli. Anything that was canned."

Murphy sat up and reached for the tray Emily had brought for him, digging into the meal with relish. "Ye won' gi' tha' 'ere. Me girl loves to cook." He smiled proudly at Emily.

Alyssa started eating, eyes widening after the first couple of bites. "Oh my gosh! This is so good!" She began to eat faster, almost forgetting to take the time to chew.

Emily laughed. "Slow down, Alyssa. There's plenty, I promise." She turned somber. "You're never going hungry again."


	11. Chapter 11

Alyssa woke up with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head as she slowly sat up. She looked around the room, still feeling shocked to realize that it was hers. She was safe and had a home where she was loved and cared for. It was taking her some getting used to. She had been staying in the mansion with the Macmanus family for the past six weeks, and she was finally feeling normal. There was no pain when she moved, her stomach was never cramping from hunger, she no longer craved anything that made her hurt if she didn't get it, and best of all, she no longer had to do any kind of favors for anyone to get anything.

Alyssa smiled as she made her way slowly downstairs and into the kitchen. She took a couple of eggs from the refrigerator and then grabbed a skillet to fry them in. She hummed to herself as her food was cooking.

"It's good te hear ye happy, lass," Murphy spoke as he entered the kitchen a couple of minutes later.

Alyssa barely saw the smile on Murphy's face as she rushed past him. She left the eggs cooking on the stove as she hurried into the bathroom to throw up. The smell of the eggs suddenly overwhelming her senses and making her feel sick. After emptying what little contents were in her stomach, she got shakily to her feet, flushing the toilet and moving to the sink to wash her hands and rinse out her mouth.

"Are ye okay, Lyssa?" Murphy's voice was full of concern as he stood in the doorway and watched her.

Alyssa looked into his eyes through their reflections in the mirror. "Guess I'm not quite as ready for fried eggs as I thought I was," she said jokingly, attempting to lessen the worry she could see in his eyes. "I'll be okay, Murphy."

Murphy watched her for a few more moments before nodding. He stepped over to her and kissed her forehead before turning back toward the door. "I'll clean up the kitchen. Why don't you go rest in the living room?"

"Okay," Alyssa agreed, straightening up the towel she had used before following him out and heading for the living room. She sat on the end of one of the couches and tucked her feet up under her. Then she got thirsty. She laughed softly and shook her head as she pushed herself up from the couch to go back into the kitchen to get something to drink.

Rebecca was coming down the stairs when Alyssa walked past. "Good morning, Alyssa!" she greeted her with a smile. She had one hand resting on her large stomach as she descended the stairs. "How are you feeling?"

Alyssa swallowed the nausea she was feeling and plastered a semi-fake smile on her face. "I'm feeling much better," she responded. She stopped at the foot of the stairs and kept an eye on Rebecca as she came down. There was something off about the way she was walking. "Becca? Are you okay?"

Rebecca's smile matched the one Alyssa had given, confirming Alyssa's suspicions. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I feel a little strange." She stumbled on the last steps, almost falling.

"Rebecca!" Alyssa shouted, reaching out to steady the older girl. She looked toward the kitchen. "Murphy! Help!" She slipped her arms around Rebecca, slowly leading her down the last couple of steps so that she wouldn't fall on them. "I've got you, Becca. It's okay."

Murphy came hurrying over to them. "Wha's goin' on?" he inquired, helping Alyssa steady Rebecca.

"Becca's in labor," Alyssa explained.

Murphy's and Rebecca's eyes both widened. "That's crazy," Rebecca stated. "I'm not in..." Her words trailed off as a warmth spread down her legs, followed immediately by a very intense contraction. She gripped both of their arms painfully, staring up at Alyssa in shock. "How... did you... know?"

"I recognized the signs," Alyssa replied. She looked at Murphy. "Let's get her to one of the couches in the living room. You need to get Connor and call Simon. Now."

Murphy stared in shock at the young girl, surprised by her sudden 'take charge' attitude. This was a side of her they had never seen before. He helped get Rebecca to one of the couches, staring at her as he pulled out his cell phone and called Simon. He started cursing a minute later as he hung it back up. "Simon's in surgery. Canna gi' 'ere til la'er."

Rebecca screamed as another contraction seized her, doubling over on the couch. "Connor!" She stared up at Murphy. "We need Simon! What are we going to do?"

Alyssa pushed away the sadness seeing Rebecca about to give birth brought her, fighting down her own memories of having Cara, and knelt on the floor beside the couch. Speaking calmly, she looked up into Rebecca's eyes. "First of all, we're going to get you out of these wet pants and underwear, and I'm going to see how far you're dilated. Murphy is going to go upstairs and get Connor."

Rebecca stared at Alyssa with wide eyes as she lifted her hips so the girl could strip her from the waist down. "How do you know about this stuff, Alyssa?" She watched as Murphy hovered at the bottom of the stairs to listen before he went up to get Connor.

Alyssa sighed. "I was tried how to do it, and I've delivered a few of the Anzellotto and the Vitanza babies over the past couple of years." She motioned for Murphy to hurry upstairs as she turned her attention back to Rebecca. She did a quick examination, nodding and reaching up for one of Rebecca's hands as another contraction started. "You're only at a six, Rebecca. It's going to be a while yet. Try to relax."

"Wha' de 'ell do ye tink yer doin'?" Connor's voice exclaimed. He hurried forward and pulled Alyssa away from Rebecca, not noticing when the young girl fell over the coffee table and into a heap on the floor. "Where's Simon?!"

Alyssa shook her head as she saw stars, groaning softly as she pushed herself to her feet.

Murphy quickly knelt beside Alyssa and helped her sit up. "Connor, ye arse! Simon's stuck in surgery, an' Lyssa knows wha' she's doin'."

"Please, Conny-Wonny," Rebecca's voice pleaded. "Let her help." She screamed as another contraction started.

"Alyssa!" Connor shouted. "What do we do?!"

Alyssa smiled softly at Murphy as he helped her to her feet. "Thanks." She looked at Connor as she walked back over to the couch. "Get behind her and support her back. She's going to need to be in a semi-upright position." She looked up as Emily came hurrying into the living room. "I need you and Murphy to go get a pan of hot water, the sharpest knife you have in the kitchen, a couple of towels, and a twist tie of some kind."

Emily looked at Murphy in confusion as he pulled her out of the living room and toward the kitchen.

Alyssa checked Rebecca again then looked up at her and Connor. "Okay, Becca. It's time. I want you to push as hard as you can with the next contraction, okay?"

Rebecca didn't have a chance to respond as another contraction followed immediately behind the last one. She screamed as she pushed as hard as she could. She pushed with each contraction, collapsing back against Connor in between them, panting. "I can't do it," she said worriedly. She screamed again as another contraction came and pushed as hard as she could.

"You're doing great, Becca," Alyssa said encouragingly. "I can see the head. Push!"

Rebecca's screams echoed through the house as she pushed again and again. She was crying by the time Alyssa told her to stop. "What's... wrong?!"

"Nothing," Alyssa assured her. She looked up for a moment before turning her attention back to the baby. "I have to turn the baby. That's all." She reached in and grabbed the baby's shoulders, gently pulling as she turned it. "One more push, Becca, and your baby will be with us. Come on. I know you can do it!"

"Ye go' dis, Becca!" Connor whispered. He squeezed her hands, holding her tight as he stared down in amazement at his child being born. He barely noticed Emily and Murphy coming back in with the supplies Alyssa had sent them to get. He cringed as Rebecca screamed again but gasped in amazement as Alyssa helped Rebecca bring their baby into the world.

Alyssa pulled the baby into her arms, using her pinky to clean out its mouth and nose. She massaged its back to help its lungs start working, smiling when it started crying. Dipping the end of one of the towels in the hot water, she cleaned a lot of the gore from the baby's body before looking up at Connor and Rebecca. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she met Connor's eyes. "Would you like to cut your daughter's cord?"

"Annabelle," Rebecca whispered, breathing heavy as her body started to relax.

Connor's eyes were wide as he nodded in response to Alyssa's question. He gently laid Rebecca back against the couch pillows before moving down next to Alyssa. He watched closely as she showed him where to cut and helped him tie the cord with the twist tie. His hands shook slightly as he took his daughter into his arms after Alyssa wrapped her in one of the clean towels. "She's beau'iful!"

Alyssa backed up against the living room wall, not wanting to be in the way of the family enjoying their new addition. She bit down on her lip until she tasted blood, trying to keep herself under control, feeling nauseous on top of the overwhelming sadness that was trying to engulf her. She closed her eyes, trying to block out their voices and hold back the memories, feeling tears sliding down her cheeks.

Rebecca smiled as Connor placed their daughter in her arms. "Can you believe we did this?" She grinned, reaching with one hand toward her twin sister and brother in law. "You'll be next, Emily." She felt tears on her cheeks as she looked around. "Where's Alyssa? We couldn't have done this without her."

Murphy spotted Alyssa hiding in the corner and went over to her. "Ye okay, lass?" He reached out and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "Tank ye fer wha' ye did 'ere."

Alyssa held on tight to Murphy, shaking slightly. "I'm sorry. I just... I started thinking about..." She shook her head.

"Aye," Murphy said as he realized. "Ye tinkin' 'bout Cara." He hugged her. "I promise ye we'll find 'er."

Rebecca suddenly screamed as another contraction seized her. "OWW! Connor! Something's wrong!"

"Alyssa!" Connor yelled. "We need ye! Please!"

Alyssa came back to the couch on shaky legs. She wasn't feeling well, but she knew she had to take care of Rebecca. She smiled weakly at Emily as she moved out of her way and behind the couch so she could be on Rebecca's other side. She got back between Rebecca's legs and pressed gently on her stomach, nodding as her suspicions were confirmed. She looked up and managed another weak smile as she looked into Rebecca's eyes. "Are you ready for round two?"

Connor's eyes widened as Rebecca screamed again. "Roun' two?"

"Come on, Becca, push!" Alyssa spoke encouragingly, fighting off sudden dizziness. She cringed as Rebecca's screams sliced through her suddenly sensitive head, reaching out and guiding the second baby as it joined its big sister in the world. She cleaned the second girl's mouth and nose, wiping her off and handing her to Connor to cut the cord and wrap up. "You know what to do." Without another word, she got up and stumbled toward the bathroom, barely making it before she threw up again.

Connor cut his youngest daughter's cord as quickly as he could, tying it off the way Alyssa had shown him and putting her in Rebecca's arms with her big sister. He kissed Rebecca gently on the forehead and whispered. "I'll be righ' back, love."

Rebecca nodded in understanding. "Go make sure she's okay. We owe her so much."

Alyssa thought she heard a throat clear as she reached to flush the toilet, groaning softly. "I'm okay, Murphy. Go back with your family."

Connor reached out and steadied Alyssa with a firm grip. He closed the lid of the toilet and set her on top of it, wetting a washcloth before kneeling in front of her and gently wiping her face. "Who's da fadder, lass?"

Alyssa stared at him in shock. "What kind of question is that? You know who my father is."

Connor growled softly. "Ye know wha' 'm askin', Lyssa. Yer pregnan'."

Alyssa shook her head, a look of horror on her face. "No, I'm not. I can't be!" She started shaking, thinking back over the past few weeks, everything falling into place. "No," she repeated. "No."

Connor sighed, helping Alyssa to her feet. He stood her in front of the mirror and pulled her shirt so that it was tight against her slightly swollen stomach, which jutted out just a little past her hips. "Yer throwin' up, an' I saw that dizzy spell ye go' while helpin' Becca with Lily. Yer pregnan', Lyssa."

Alyssa shook her head, staring at the reflection of her stomach. "I can't be. No..." She shook her head again.

Connor sighed, holding her closer. "Murph'll go gi' a test fer ye te take t'morro, but I can promise ye. Yer pregnan', Lyssa." He held her tighter as she started to cry. "Donna worry, lass. Yer safe 'ere. We'll make sure yer taken care o'." He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the living room, setting her down on the couch at Becca's feet.

Murphy moved to sit next to Alyssa, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her against her side as they both watched Connor and Rebecca with their newborns. "Ye were so brave, Lyssa," he whispered in her ear.

Rebecca stretched out her hand, wanting Alyssa's. "Thank you," she spoke, her voice weak. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Alyssa squeezed Rebecca's hand and smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Of course you could have, but I'm glad I was able to be here when you needed something. I'm glad I was able to help you." She gave her hand another squeeze. "Your daughters are beautiful, Rebecca."

Rebecca looked from Alyssa up to Connor. "Give her one of them to hold," she instructed.

Alyssa shook her head, leaning back against Murphy's side. "No, Becca... I... I couldn't."

"Of course you can!" Rebecca insisted weakly, not thinking about the memories Alyssa might be re-living or the new worries on the young girl's mind. She wanted to share her joy with the people she felt closest to.

Alyssa looked helplessly from Connor to Murphy as Connor placed Annabelle in her trembling arms, fighting to keep herself under control. She looked down at the baby girl in her arms and hissed in a quick, shaky, breath. After a few more moments, she looked apologetically at everyone and pushed Annabelle into Murphy's arms. She jumped off the couch and raced from the room, running up the stairs and shutting herself in her room.


	12. Chapter 12

Murphy sighed as he hesitated outside the door to Alyssa's room, a small box clenched in his fist. Connor had explained the situation to him last night, and he had gone out first thing that morning to get a test for her to take. He knocked softly on the door before cracking it open. "Alyssa? Ye awake?"

Alyssa didn't even bother to look up, her pillow stained with the tears she had been crying all night. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and it was obvious that she hadn't slept at all. Her shoulders shook as she continued crying silently, her hair matted against her face.

Murphy hurried to the bed and pulled her into his arms, rocking her gently. "Shh, lass... Yer okay. I go' ye. Everyting's gonna be okay."

She shook her head, clinging to him. "No, it's not. Connor thinks..." She sighed, unable to finish the thought.

"'e tol' me, lass. I brough' ye a tes' te take." He gently kissed the the top of her head. "We'll deal wit wha'e'er de resul's are tegedder."

Alyssa slowly looked up at him. "Murphy... If I am..." She shuddered. "I'll never know who the father is." She started crying again. "There's been... too many... they made me..."

Murphy rocked her more, holding her close. "Shh... I promise i' will be okay. We'll 'andle de resul's tegedder." He looked into her eyes. "Ye nee' te take de tes', Lyssa."

Alyssa took a deep breath as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. She took the box out of his hands and left the room to go to the bathroom down the hall. She came back a few minutes later and curled back up on his lap.

Murphy gently stroked her hair. "Wha'd it say, lass?"

"I don't know," she mumbled into his chest. "I couldn't look at it."

Murphy sighed, gently moving her off his lap and covering her up. "I'll go take a look."

Alyssa looked up at him gratefully, her shaking fingers pulling at her lower lip as she watched him leave the room. She held her breath when he came back in, waiting to hear the worst.

Murphy pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, whispering against her hair. "We'll gi' Simon te check ye ova... make sure everyting's goin' de way it should be. I promise we'll take care o' ye an' yer baby, Lyssa."

Alyssa stared up at him, her lower lip trembling. "Connor's right? I am... I'm..."

"Yer pregnan', lass," Murphy confirmed. He held up the test to show her the results.

Alyssa got up and slowly got dressed, her eyes slightly puffy from another night of crying. It had been two weeks since she had taken the test that confirmed she was pregnant. Murphy, Rebecca, and the rest of them had been wonderful, but she still felt so ashamed. She was pregnant, and she didn't even know who the father was. It could be her dad or any one of his friends. The thought sickened her.

Murphy had taken her to see Simon the day before, the doctor who had come to the mansion to help her get over the drug addiction she had had when she arrived. Simon had confirmed the pregnancy and had given her an ultrasound, which showed her to be about eighteen weeks.

Alyssa sighed as she tried to remember what had been happening eighteen weeks before. Everything was all jumbled together in a drugged out haze. She couldn't remember anything that had taken place and sighed. She went downstairs and into the kitchen to get a glass of juice, drinking it before heading outside.

Murphy looked up as he heard the front door open and close, hurrying out after the young girl. "Alyssa!"

Alyssa stopped and looked back over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

Murphy stepped up behind her and put his hands on the top of her shoulders. "Where ye goin', lass?"

"Just for a walk, I promise." She took a deep breath. "I need to clear my head. I can't seem to concentrate on anything."

Murphy nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Aye. Jes' donna stay gone too long, okay? Emily's makin' a big dinner tenigh' te celebra'e." He placed his hands lightly on her stomach. "Dis is gonna be a good ting, lass. We'll make sure o' it."

Alyssa nodded as she leaned back into his arms with a sigh. "I know you're going to try, Murphy. Thank you." She turned her head and kissed his cheek. "I'll be home soon. I promise." She slowly walked down the drive and into the street, turning left to head down the steep hill.

Murphy sighed, watching her until she was out of sight before turning and going back inside. He had a funny feeling, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what was causing it.

Alyssa sighed as she walked slowly down the hill. She spotted a park up ahead and decided that would be a good place to spend some quiet time alone. She headed for a walking path that seemed to wind its way through the trees that bordered the park, her thoughts on everything that had happened lately and not on her surroundings.

He looked up from the bench he was sitting on to spot a young, brown-haired, girl heading toward the walking paths. The front of his pants tightened at the sight of her. She looked vaguely familiar, and he decided to follow her, getting up slowly and setting a pace to match hers, keeping several feet back.

Alyssa stopped for a few moments to catch her breath, realizing that she had been hearing footsteps behind her for a while. She put her hands on her knees, hoping the person would pass by her quickly so she could be alone again.

He moaned as he saw the young woman bend over. He'd recognize that ass, even in jeans, anywhere. He had always paid top dollar for time with her, and she had never made him regret a single penny. That girl could take more punishment than most of the women he had been with. He quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms securely around her and pressing himself against her. He leaned down to whisper in her ear after looking around. "Hey, Alyssa. It's been a while."

Alyssa gasped, fighting the urge to scream. "Francesco! What are you doing? Let me go!"

He laughed. "I don't think so. I've missed you too much!" He moved his hands to her breasts, slipping them up under her shirt. "I can't believe they let you out by yourself."

Alyssa twisted in his grip. "You know how they are, Francesco. You're asking to get yourself killed." She growled.

Francesco looked around again, confirming his suspicion that she was indeed alone. He brought his knee up, hard, into the small of her back, smirking as she dropped to his feet. He began to kick her, punctuating each of his words with a sharp kick. "You... stupid... bitch. Do... you... really... think... I... would... come... to... you... without... making... sure... that... you're... alone?" He reached down and grabbed a fistful of her hair, throwing her over against a tree.

Alyssa felt the breath rush from her lungs as her back connected with the trunk of the tree. She fell into a heap at its base, struggling to just breathe as she fought against the blackness that wanted to drown her. She could taste blood in her mouth, part of her worrying about why since he hadn't hit her mouth. At least not yet.

Francesco stepped over and dropped to his knees beside her. He reached out and ripped her shirt open, using his knife to cut off her bra, laughing as he nicked her skin in several places. He hit her a few times as she tried to fight him, unfastening her jeans and yanking them down her legs before cutting off her panties.

Alyssa shook her head, clawing at Francesco as he climbed on top of her, spitting blood into his face when he hit her. "Get... off me! Leave me alone!" She tried to fight, but she was already too weak from the things he had already done. She couldn't stop him as he shoved his cock deep inside her, causing her to scream.

Francesco thrust himself in and out of Alyssa harder than he ever had before. He smacked her around some more when she kept fighting before finally settling his hands around her throat. As he reached his climax, he squeezed, smiling as he watched the light fade from her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Chris Michaels whistled to himself as he ran through the park, the exercise making his heart race. He loved his life in San Antonio, but he had to admit that he had really missed Boston. He had checked into a South Boston hotel that morning and was looking forward to looking up his old friends from the meat packing plant... especially Connor and Murphy Macmanus.

Alyssa's unconscious body lay amongst the trees that lined the path Chris was running on. She lay exactly where Francesco had left her, her torn clothes scattered around her naked and bleeding form.

Chris's attention was suddenly caught by something pale in the grass off to the side of the path, in the trees. He stopped running and went to investigate, dropping to his knees next to the young woman in shock. "Hey." He kept his voice gentle as he brushed the hair away from her battered face and checked for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief as he found one. "Can you hear me?"

Alyssa groaned weakly as she started coming around. She felt hands on her wrists and moaned. "Please... Francesco... no more..." she begged.

Chris growled angrily. It was bad enough that the young woman had been attacked, but it appeared she knew who her attacker was. He sighed as his eyes took in her body, obviously a few months pregnant, to try to figure out if he should move her or not. "Shh..." he spoke gently to her again. "I'm gonna call an ambulance and the police."

Alyssa's eyes flew open as she heard the unfamiliar, gently voice. "No!" she protested weakly, coughing. "Please... don't. I just... I need to... go home."

"You need a hospital, sweeties," Chris explained. "You're hurt really bad." He stared down into her warm, brown, eyes and wanted to protect her from ever being hurt again.

"Murphy... He'll take... care of me." Alyssa's eyes pleaded with the man as much as her voice did. "Please... take me... home."

Chris hesitated only another minute before pulling off his jacket and carefully wrapping it around her bleeding body. He slid his arms under her and lifted her as gently as he could, wincing in sympathy as she screamed weakly. "I'm so sorry. I'm trying to be careful." He slowly got to his feet with her cradled in his arms, trying not to jostle her too much.

Alyssa whimpered, lifting her arms to wrap them around the man's neck as much as she could. Her head rested on his shoulder, her face pressing into his neck. "I want... to go home... want... Murphy..."

"Murphy who, honey? I used to know a Murphy." Chris placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head as he walked out of the park with her in his arms.

"Ma... Mac... Macman...," Alyssa stuttered on the name as she tried to breathe.

"Macmanus?" Chris asked, shocked. "You live with Murphy Macmanus?"

Alyssa nodded, licking her lips. "Murphy... Connor... and... their wives..." She raised an arm and pointed weakly. "Top... of the... hill... mansion... on the... left..."

Chris nodded. "Got it, sweetie," he assured her. "I'll get you home soon. I promise." He whistled appreciatively as the mansion came into view a few minutes later. "Nice place." he carried the girl through the gate and up to the front door, moving her carefully onto one arm so he could ring the doorbell.

Murphy was coming down the stairs, debating whether to go looking for Alyssa or not, when the doorbell rang. He opened the door, the curiosity on his face quickly turning into horror. "Alyssa!" He glared at the man holding her. "Wha' de 'ell! Gimme 'er!" He reached out and pulled Alyssa's jacket wrapped, bloody, body into his arms as she reached for him.

"Murphy... y..." she smiled weakly at him just before her head fell back over his arm.

Murphy's eyes narrowed dangerously at the man still standing in the doorway. "If ye 'ad anying te do wit dis, yer a dead man."

Chris's eyes widened. "Oh, hell no! I was on a run in the park, and I found her. I wanted to call an ambulance and the police, but she insisted on coming here instead." He followed Murphy as his old friend carried the girl inside. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Murphy was too focused on Alyssa to give the man much thought. "No' really. Sorry." He walked carefully into the living room and sat on the couch, cradling Alyssa in his arms. He brushed some hair back from her face as she whimpered and her eyes rolled back in her head. "Come on, Lyssa. Stay wit me." He turned his head away from her and yelled. "CONNOR! Gi' yer ass down 'ere!"

Connor came racing into the living room, looking around wildly. "Chris Michaels? Where did ye come from?" Then his eyes fell on Alyssa in Murphy's arms. "Wha' de HELL?!" He glared at Chris. "Did ye do dis?!"

Chris took a step backward. "You know me better than that, Connor!"

"St-stop it... please..." Alyssa begged quietly. She clutched the front of Murphy's shirt in her fist, her body trembling.

"'m sorry, lass," Connor apologized, immediately contrite. He knelt down on the floor in front of her and Murphy and took one of Alyssa's hands. "Who did dis te ye, Lyssa? I swear we'll make 'em pay fer it."

Chris spoke up, remembering what she had called him when she first started coming around. "She was pleading with a Francesco to stop when she started coming around after I found her."

"'m glad de girls wen' te see Lisa," Connor stated, pushing himself back to his feet. "'m goin' go call Simon. He needs te see 'er. Now."

Murphy nodded, distracted. He was worried about the young lass they had all begun to think of as family. He kissed her gently on the forehead. "Yer goin' be okay, lass. I promise."

Alyssa reached up with one trembling arm to caress Murphy's cheek, her pain filled eyes full of trust. "I lo-ve y-y-you, Mur..." Her voice trailed off as her back arched completely up off of Murphy's lap, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, pain lancing through her stomach.

Murphy jumped as he felt something warm spreading across his lap. He glanced down, carefully opening up the jacket, to find blood running down the inside of Alyssa's legs. "FUCK! Connor! We canna wai' fer Simon te gi' here." He cursed again when Alyssa passed out cold.

"Bring 'er te Lita!" Connor ran to get his keys.

"What's going on?!" Chris demanded.

"She's miscarryin' de baby tanks te de bas'ard the' did dis," Murphy answered in a growl. "Ye wanna help? Run upstairs an' gi' a blanket off one o' de beds. Donna madder which one." He watched for a moment as Chris as he asked, carefully getting to his feet with Alyssa in his arms.

Chris ran back down the stairs with a large blanket in his hands. He quickly spread it on the couch and helped Murphy wrap Alyssa up in it. He looked up at the sound of a horn blaring. "Sounds like he's got Lita ready to go."

Murphy nodded, carefully scooping Alyssa back into his arms. He looked at Chris. "Would ye min' stayin' 'ere te le' our wives know where we wen'? Ye can come te de 'ospi'al wit dem when dey come."

Chris sighed but nodded, watching as the beautiful young girl disappeared, carried out of sight within a few seconds.


	14. Chapter 14

Emily and Rebecca Macmanus were laughing as they came home from their mother's house, but they shut up as soon as they heard strange noises coming from their living room. Glad that they had left Rebecca's twin daughters with their mother, the twin sisters nodded to each other, each of them pulling out a small handgun and creeping toward their living room.

Chris paced the floor of his friends' living room, waiting for their wives to come home. He was worried about that girl he had found, anxious to go see how she was doing. "Damn it!" he shouted in frustration. "Would you hurry up and come home already!"

"Are we in a hurry to die, asshole?" Rebecca asked calmly as she and Emily stepped into the living room with their guns leveled at him.

Chris looked over, the worry not leaving his eyes even as his face relaxed slightly. "You must be Emily and Rebecca."

"You've got about two seconds to explain yourself," Emily spoke up.

"Connor and Murphy asked me to wait here for you. We have to go meet up with them at the hospital." Chris ignored the guns pointed at him, heading toward the door.

"Are they hurt?!" Emily demanded, moving to block his path.

"They're fine, just worried. Can we go now? Please?" Chris looked from one of them to the other.

"Oh, my god," Rebecca suddenly spoke, realization in her voice. "It's Alyssa... something happened to Alyssa."

Emily gasped, narrowing her eyes at him. "What the hell did you do to her?!"

Rebecca put her gun away and put a hand on Emily's arm. "Calm down, Em. It's not good for the baby to get so upset." She looked at the man. "I know our husbands would not have left you alone in our home if you were the one who hurt Alyssa. Who are you, and what happened?"

Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My name is Chris Michaels, and I'm from San Antonio. I used to work with Connor and Murphy at the meat packing plant. I was on a run in the park earlier, and I found Alyssa. Someone beat the hell out of her. I wanted to call an ambulance and the police, but she insisted that I bring her here. Connor was gonna call someone named Simon to come take care of her, but Alyssa started bleeding really bad. They rushed her to the hospital in Connor's car."

"What the hell are we waiting for?" Rebecca demanded. She grabbed Emily's hand and hurried to the garage, not knowing or caring if Chris was following them or not. She helped Emily into the passenger side of her truck before hurrying around to slide in behind the wheel.

Chris caught the passenger door just before it shut, helping Emily scoot over on the seat so that he could slide in beside her. "How long will it take us to get to the hospital?"

"About fifteen minutes or so," Emily answered, staring nervously out the windshield. One hand rested on her pregnant stomach, leaning forward as if to urge the truck to go faster.

Rebecca barely got the truck parked and shut off before Chris threw the passenger door open. He helped Emily out, urging the two girls to hurry as all three of them headed inside. He rushed over to the information desk and found out that Alyssa had been taken up to the twelfth floor. He ushered the twins onto the nearest elevator and pushed the button for the correct floor.

"Connor!" Rebecca shouted, spotting her husband and Murphy pacing the floor as soon as the three of them stepped off the elevator. She rushed into Connor's arms. "How is she? Where is she?"

"We donna know," Connor admitted. "She's still in surgery."

Murphy wrapped his arms around Emily and buried his face in her neck, crying. "She looks so weak... so... 'elpless..."

Emily looked over at Connor as she held Murphy, bot of them doing their best to console their sobbing spouses. "What happened, Connor?" She led Murphy over to a set of chairs and sat him down in one.

Connor sighed, sitting down in another chair and pulling Rebecca onto his lap. "'m no' sure. All we know is tha' Chris foun' 'er in th' park, an' she was mumblin' sometin' 'bout a guy named Francesco."

"We're gonna kill de bas'ard," Murphy stated, clenching his hands into fists. "Jus' as soon as we fin' ou' who 'e is."

"You won't be doing it alone," Chris finally spoke up. He looked at the four of them. "I want a piece of the bastard that did this to her."

The five of them looked up as a throat was cleared.

Dr. Simon Tam stepped over to the group, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked tired, as if he had been working hard. He held up his hands when all five of them started to talk at once. "She's being taken into a private room to recover. She's not conscious right now, but you can all go sit with her as soon as they get her settled in. Murphy, I have you listed as her guardian, with your last name."

Murphy nodded. "Tha's good, Simon. Tank ye. 'ow bad is she?"

Simon sighed. "She has a severe concussion, a fractured cheekbone on the left side, a shattered left hand, three broken ribs on her left side, two broken ribs on her right side, a severely sprained right ankle, and more bruises and cuts all over her body than any of us really want to think about. She was raped, and one of her broken ribs punctured her lung. She's on oxygen and will be for a while."

Rebecca wiped at her tears, looking up at their friend. "What about the baby, Simon? She didn't lose the baby, did she?"

Simon slowly nodded. "I tried everything, but the damage was too severe." He looked up as his nurse, and girlfriend, approached them. "What is it, Sarah?"

"I just wanted to let you know that the girl is settled into Room 1217." Sarah smiled sadly at the Macmanus family. "It's nice to see all of you again. I'm just sorry it's under these circumstances."

"Is she awake?" Connor asked.

Sarah shook her head. "Between the anesthesia and the trauma, I wouldn't worry if she doesn't wake up for several hours yet."

Simon gave them all an encouraging smile. "Your young friend is going to be in a lot of emotional and physical pain for a long time after she wakes up, but she's going to be okay. Why don't the five of you go look in on her? Sarah and I have other patients we have to check on, but we'll be back in a little while to see how she's doing."

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

Alyssa groaned, her hands moving on top of the white blanket that had been tucked in around her. Her eyes fluttered as she slowly started to come around.

"Hey," Murphy spoke softly. He carefully took the hand that wasn't in a cast in his, being cautious of the IV in the back of it. "Sleepin' Beau'y is finally awake." He leaned over and kissed the bandage that was wrapped around her forehead.

Alyssa groaned again, her eyes finally opening. She licked her dry lips, looking around at the five people surrounding the bed she was on. She saw the television sitting on a stand that was hanging from the wall and heard the beeping sounds of some kind of machines. "What happened? Where am I?" She attempted to sit up.

Rebecca put her hands on Alyssa's shoulders and gently pushed her down. "Relax, Alyssa. You're safe. You're in the hospital. Simon fixed you up."

"Ye gonna be jes' fine, Lyssa," Connor assured her, resting one of his hands lightly on the leg that was closest to him.

Emily patted Alyssa's other leg. "How much do you remember, sweetie?"

Alyssa winced as she swallowed. "I remember going down to the park to walk around and try to... clear my head." She shivered lightly, her hand tightening around Murphy's. "Someone followed me."

"Aye," Connor responded. "Do ye know who 'e was? Did ye see 'im a' all?"

Alyssa whimpered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she nodded. "He... He's a man who has paid Dad for..."

"Shh..." Rebecca's voice was soothing as she straightened the blanket. She kissed Alyssa's cheek. "This wasn't the first time he hurt you, was it?"

Alyssa whimpered again, reaching for Murphy as much as the tubes and wires that had her attached to monitors would allow.

Murphy got up and slid himself carefully onto the bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked the part of her hair not covered by the bandage. "Who is 'e, lass?"

Alyssa shook in Murphy's arms. "His name is Francesco Clavetti. He used to... pay... at least once a week. He's always been really rough, but Dad and Salvatore made him regret the one time he got too rough. They got pissed, because I couldn't work for two weeks that time. He never got that rough with me again... until today."

"We're gonna fin' th' bas'ard. We promise ye, Lyssa," Connor stated with conviction.

Alyssa peeked over the top of Murphy's arm and attempted a smile. "I know you will, Connor." Her eyes fell on the guy standing at the foot of the bed. He hadn't said anything yet, but she had a feeling that she would recognize his voice if he ever did speak. As he looked into her eyes, she remembered why he seemed so familiar. "You! You were there... in the park. You took me home."

Chris nodded, gripping the foot board of the bed. "I'm glad you're gonna be okay."

Alyssa clung a little tighter to Murphy. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Chris sighed. "My name is Chris, and I just wanted to make sure that you were okay." He turned toward the door, preparing to leave. "I won't bother you again, Alyssa."


	15. Chapter 15

Alyssa saw the look on Murphy's face and shook her head. Chris had been really sweet to bring her home, but she hated being around anyone new. People made her extremely nervous, and Murphy knew that. "No," she whispered. "Please, don't."

Murphy sighed, leaning over and kissing the top of Alyssa's head, motioning with his hand for Chris not to leave. "Ye gotta learn te trus' udder people sometime, Lyssa."

Connor spoke up. "Aye, lass. Chris is a good guy. We worked wid 'im at de meat packin' plan'. Ye can trus' 'im."

Alyssa slowly nodded but kept her face buried against Murphy's chest. As everyone got quiet, she closed her eyes and dropped her hand down to rest it on her small baby bump. Her eyes flew open and widened as she realized that something was different. She gasped and lifted her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Murphy... no... please... tell me it's not true!"

Murphy's gaze fell to Alyssa's hand cradling her stomach, and he cursed. He wrapped his arms tighter around her as she broke down, stroking his fingers gently through her long dark hair. "Aye, Lyssa. 'm so sorry, bu' yer babe is gone."

"NO!" Alyssa screamed into Murphy's chest, crying in anguish as her heart shattered. She kept screaming, tears streaming down her cheeks as she started pulling at the tubes and wires that were keeping her prisoner to the bed. She had to get out, had to get away.

Murphy growled in frustrations, hating to see Alyssa in so much pain and anguish. "Connor! 'old 'er legs! Chris! Go gi' Simon!" He wrapped himself as tight around her arms as possible. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that didn't really matter at this point.

ONE HOUR LATER

Rebecca walked back into Alyssa's hospital room with a tray holding five coffees and sighed. "Izzy called. She and Angelica are at the mansion wondering where the hell we are."

Connor's memory kicked in and he cursed. "Yer parties are s'posed te star' t'nite!"

Emily nodded. "I had forgotten, too. We're supposed to be hosting the next three nights for the premiere." She put her head in her hands. "Maybe we should start making some calls and cancel them."

Connor shook his head. "No feckin' way. Ye girls worked too 'ard fer dis."

"Besides," Murphy said with a sigh as he looked at Alyssa's peaceful face. "Simon said she'd be ou' fer a while. Ye three go gi' tings star'ed. I'll join ye afta I explain wha's goin' on te 'Lyssa afta she wakes up."

"You've worked as hard as we have, Murphy," Rebecca commented. "You should be there, too. Alyssa wouldn't want you to miss it."

"I can stay with Alyssa," Chris offered. "I won't let her be alone." He couldn't explain why, but he hated the thought of ever leaving her again.

Murphy shook his head. "I'll be fashionably la'e," he insisted. "I 'preciate de offer, Chris, bu' 'Lyssa is terrified o' strangers. Once I know she's okay wit ye, I'll leave."

Chris nodded, sipping his coffee as he watched the other three saying good-bye to Murphy.

TWO HOURS LATER

Chris came back to the room with some take out bags of food, sitting across the bed from Murphy again with a sigh. "No change?" he asked.

Murphy shook his head as he started opening up the take out bags Chris had brought back with him. He handed a wrapped cheeseburger to Chris and unwrapped one of his own, taking a large bite even though he had no appetite.

As Chris unwrapped his own cheeseburger, he glance at Alyssa and noticed that she was awake. He dropped his food with a gasp, not even noticing as it fell into the floor. "Alyssa! You're awake!"

Alyssa lay on the bed with her hands resting, palms down, on the bed on either side of her. Her breathing was deep and even as she stared, unblinking, up at the ceiling. She didn't appear to know that either one of the guys was there.

Murphy immediately put his cheeseburger down and grabbed Alyssa's hand, his heart clenching when she made no effort to squeeze back or to look at him. "Come on, Bit. Look at me. Please. Squeeze me 'and."

Chris felt like crying when Alyssa didn't so much as flinch in response to Murphy. He reached over and slipped his hand around her free one, squeezing gently. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain she was going through with finding out that she had lost her baby. He had no idea what to say, but he wanted to show her that he was there for her.

Murphy felt a few tears slide down his cheeks as Alyssa remained non-responsive. "Please, Bit," he begged again, kissing her cheek and stroking her hair. "Talk te me."

Chris took a deep breath. "You should go to your party, Murphy. I promise I will stay right here, and I will call you the second she snaps out of this."

Murphy took a deep breath and nodded. "Aye. I s'pose yer righ'. I ain' doin' 'er any good jus' sittin' 'ere." He stood up, leaning over and kissing Alyssa's forehead before shaking Chris's hand and leaving the two of them alone.


	16. Chapter 16

Alyssa groaned softly, shifting around as she began to wake up. She whimpered as her hands rubbed over her stomach, remembering that she had lost the baby in the attack.

Chris looked up quickly at the sound of Alyssa stirring and made a fast decision. He got up from the chair and slid onto the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her. "It's gonna be okay, Alyssa. I've got you."

Alyssa gasped, opening her eyes wide. "Where's Murphy?" She stiffened up in Chris's arms. "Why are you still here?"

"Murphy and the others had to go back home to handle all of the guests tonight." Chris sighed, gently rubbing his hand on her arm in an attempt to soothe her. "I volunteered to stay so that you didn't wake up all alone."

Alyssa slowly relaxed, despite her automatic instinct not to trust anyone. "Th-thank you," she finally whispered. "I forgot about the parties. I'm supposed to help with them."

"I think you've been given a pardon, considering the circumstances," Chris assured her. He carefully pulled her closer against his side. "How are you feeling? Do I need to call Simon in here?"

Alyssa shook her head. "You can find my clothes." She reached up with one of her bandaged hands and tugged at the neck of the hospital gown she was wearing. "I want to go home."

Chris sighed, kissing the top of her head. "I'll go find Simon and have him come check you over, but I don't think he's going to be letting you go anywhere yet, Alyssa. You're injured and need time to heal." He reached under her chin and tipped her head back slightly so that she was looking up at him. "I want you to promise me that you will stay here and behave while I'm gone. No trying to get up out of bed or anything like that." If she was anything like he suspected, she wouldn't go back on her word once she made a promise.

Alyssa's eyes searched Chris's for several moments before she finally nodded. "I promise," she added reluctantly. "I'll wait for you to come back with Simon and hopefully convince him to let me go home."

Chris smiled and relaxed, leaning down and kissing her gently on the forehead before getting up. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised her.

Alyssa sighed as she watched the man leave the room to go find Simon. She knew she owed him her life, but she still wasn't sure about having him around. Through the fog that clouded her memory of the few minutes she had been awake before, she could remember both Connor and Murphy assuring her that he was a good guy. Shaking her head, she sighed again and attempted to roll over onto her side without pulling any of the tubes, stitches, or wires that were in her.

Chris came back less than half an hour later with Dr. Simon Tam in tow. "I found him," he informed her with a grin. He automatically moved over to the far side of the bed and stretched out beside her again, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

Dr. Tam studied the two curiously for a few moments before smiling at Alyssa. "You're looking better," he commented. "Are you in any pain?"

Alyssa shook her head. "I've dealt with worse pain. I want to go home." She bit down on the inside of her lip as Dr. Tam began examining her. She didn't want to give him any excuse to make her stay. She hated hospitals.

Dr. Tam finished examining Alyssa and sat down on the edge of her bed and took her nearest hand gently in his. "I know you want to go back home to the mansion, Alyssa, and I would love to let you go to where you are the most comfortable. Unfortunately, you're not ready for that yet." He squeezed her hand gently and held up his free one to stop her from saying anything when she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm going to make a deal with you. I want you to stay in this bed and rest as much as possible tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to have a physical therapist meet with you and evaluate your condition. If you cooperate, and do everything that you are told to do, I'll let you go home the day after tomorrow."

Alyssa shook her head. "No... please, Simon..." Tears pooled in her eyes. "I want to go home now... tonight. I don't want to stay here!"

Chris held Alyssa a little tighter, rubbing her arms. "Calm down, Alyssa. You've got to do what Simon says if you want to heal."

Dr. Tam sighed and squeezed Alyssa's hand again. "Look. I know you hate hospitals, Alyssa. You've never had a good experience in one, but I can't help that. All I can do is promise that you will be well taken care of here and as soon as you are well enough, I will continue your treatment at the mansion. I promise."

"I won't leave until you can," Chris promised her. "I'll stay right here with you so that you know you're safe."

Alyssa sighed and looked from Dr. Tam to Chris and back again. She finally took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine. I'll stay."

Chris let out a relieved breath. "While you're finishing up, Simon, I'm going to go call Murphy and give him an update." He kissed the top of Alyssa's head. "I'll be back before he's finished, I promise."


	17. Chapter 17

Chris sighed softly into the top of Alyssa's hair as he held her during the night while she slept. Murphy had been more excited than he had ever heard him after he told him that she was awake and had agreed to stay for at least a couple of more nights. He rubbed his hands lightly on her back, hoping to help keep any bad dreams away.

Alyssa kept her eyes closed and her breathing even as she laid next to Chris on the hospital bed with his arms wrapped securely around her. She wished it was Murphy with her, but she was trying to trust this new person. He was a good friend of Connor's and Murphy's, and she knew that Murphy would never have allowed him to stay if he wasn't safe. She kept repeating that to herself as she fell slowly into a deep sleep, her head nestled against Chris's chest.

Chris smiled as he felt Alyssa fall asleep, realizing that she had been pretending before. He shook his head slightly but was grateful that she finally seemed to be trusting him at least a little. He closed his eyes and fell asleep a few minutes later with a smile on his face as he continued to hold her.

Sarah walked into Alyssa's room the following morning and smiled at the sight of the two of them laying on the bed together. It was the first time in the short time she had known the young girl that she had ever seen such a peaceful look on her face. She went over to the bed and checked Alyssa's vital signs, adjusting some of the monitors on her before stepping back. She also replaced her IV bags and then reached out and pulled the covers gently around her.

Alyssa opened her eyes and looked over at Sarah as the woman started to straighten back up. "Sarah? What's going on?"

Sarah put a finger to her lips and motioned to Chris, whispering. "I was just checking your vital signs and making sure that you're comfortable, Aly."

Alyssa looked over at Chris and slowly slid out of his embrace. She clenched her teeth together as she sat up and reached for the glass of water on the stand next to the bed. "Simon said I'd be meeting with a physical therapist today. Do you know when?"

Sarah sighed at the young girl's fierce independence streak, wishing she would allow them to take care of her longer here in the hospital so that she could get the rest she needed to fully heal. "I'm pretty sure you'll be going down to meet with him in a couple of hours." She looked over her shoulder at a noise at the door. "Your breakfast is here."

Alyssa watched as an orderly brought in two trays and began to set them up. She reached over and gently shook Chris. "Chris... breakfast is here."

Chris groaned, stretching his arms over his head as he slowly opened his eyes. "Hmm?" He looked around and smiled at the orderly and Sarah. "Oh... breakfast. Thanks, ladies." He adjusted the pillows behind Alyssa's back. "Are you comfortable?"

Alyssa nodded as the orderly and Sarah left the room to let them eat in peace. "Thanks, Chris. You've been really sweet." She picked up her fork and began to eat the eggs on her tray. "Sarah said I'll be going to meet with the physical therapist in a couple of hours."

Chris nodded as he began to eat his own breakfast. "I wish you would re-consider rushing yourself so much, but I'm glad to see you happy about something." He picked up the remote control for the television set and handed it to her. "Why don't you see if there's anything on TV that you want to watch while we eat and wait for them to come get us for your therapy session?"

Alyssa looked at the thing in Chris's hand in confusion. "What's TV?"

Chris's eyes widened. "You've never seen TV before?" When Alyssa shook her head, he wrapped one arm around her waist and pointed the remote control at the television set. He flipped through the channels until he found a talk show. "There's not a whole lot of options in the morning like this. Later tonight, I can show you some better stuff to watch."

Alyssa stared at the box that sat on a shelf high up on the wall in shock as people appeared on it. She jumped slightly, wincing as her broken ribs pulled. "There's people in there!"

Chris laughed. "No, honey. They're not in there. That's like a moving picture of sorts. It's kind of hard to explain, but those are pictures of people like you and me who are acting out a story." He thought for a moment as he realized that they were watching a talk show. "Well, on sitcoms and dramas and movies they are. This is called a talk show. It's basically just people talking about lots of different things, discussing things going on."

"This is what people call entertaining?" Alyssa shook her head, turning her attention back to her food. "I don't think I like it very much."

Chris nodded and hit the button to turn the television set back off. "Then we won't watch it. It was just an idea to help pass the time." He looked over toward the door as Simon knocked on it and let himself in. "Hey, Simon."

Simon smiled in greeting, part of his attention taken by studying Alyssa's chart. "You're vital signs are looking excellent, Aly. If everything goes smoothly with the physical therapist, then I don't see any problem at all with you being able to go home tomorrow evening."

Alyssa smiled slightly as she swallowed the last bite of her breakfast and reached for the glass of juice. "I still wish I could go home now, but I promise not to complain again."

Simon stepped closer and affectionately ruffled her hair. "You are one of the strongest young ladies I have ever had the privilege of knowing. You're going to be just fine." He kissed the top of her head. "In fact, I predict that you're going to be stronger than ever."

Alyssa blushed. "Thanks, Dr. Tam. That means a lot." She looked over at Chris. "Are you coming with us to see the physical therapist?"

Chris nodded. "I'd like to if that's okay with you."

Alyssa smiled and nodded. "I think I'd like it if you were there."


	18. Chapter 18

Alyssa frowned when an orderly brought a wheelchair into her hospital room a little over an hour later. She glanced over at Simon as he walked in a few moments later. "Dr. Tam..."

"Alyssa..." Simon mimicked the tone in the young girl's voice. He shook a finger at her. "You have several broken ribs, and your broken hand won't let you maneuver crutches just yet. Humor me and don't make yourself any worse before we get you healed, okay?"

Alyssa sighed, sitting up and carefully swinging around so that her legs were hanging off the side of the bed. She shivered slightly as a cool breeze blew up under her gown. She bit her lip to keep from showing any of the pain that moving was causing her, trying to ignore the orderly who couldn't seem to stop staring at her.

"Chris, come over here so you can help me, please. Bill is going to leave now and receive a reprimand later." He glared at the orderly. "He knows better than to act like this." He smiled reassuringly at Alyssa. "I'm going to adjust your IV so that we can wheel it down with us, and then Chris and I are going to help you into these scrub pants and house shoes so you'll be a little more comfortable."

Chris nodded, sliding off the other side of the bed and walking around to Alyssa's side, as Bill leaves, grumbling under his breath. "Asshole," Chris mumbled. He sat down beside Alyssa and took her hand in his, squeezing slightly to help distract her as Simon messed with her IV.

Alyssa looked gratefully at Chris, thankful for the distraction. She hated needles, and having one messed with while it was still inside of her didn't help her attitude toward them. She squeezed Chris's hand tight with her unbroken one without taking her eyes from his.

"Okay, Chris," Simon's voice suddenly interrupted them. "Let's get her into these scrub pants and into the wheelchair so we can see what the physical therapist has to say."

Chris nodded, kissing Alyssa gently on her forehead before helping Simon slide the pants onto her legs. After Simon put the house shoes on her feet, he helped her stand up and reached down to pull the pants up. He helped her over to the wheelchair and kissed her forehead again before straightening up. He moved behind the wheelchair to push her down to the therapy area.

Simon smiled at the two of them as he held the door of the room open for Chris to push Alyssa out into the hallway and then walking beside them as they went down to the therapy area. "Have the two of you known each other for long?"

Alyssa shook her head. "I just met him." Alyssa glanced up at Chris and smiled. "Murphy said he saved my life."

Chris shook his head, moving one hand to squeeze her shoulder gently. "I was just in the right place at the right time. You've saved yourself." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "You are so strong. I've never seen anyone so strong." He straightened back up when Simon moved forward to open another door, pushing her through it and looking around. He whistled under his breath at all of the equipment.

Simon chuckled and nodded. "We've got one of the top physical therapy centers in the country." He looked fondly down at Alyssa. "You're in good hands here." He looked around and nodded as a man came walking toward them. "In fact, you're in the best hands. This is Dr. Mark Jones. He's the head of our therapy department and the most requested therapist in the states."

Dr. Jones shook his head, laughing as he approached. "My ego gets stoked enough, Dr. Tam. That's enough." He reached out and shook Chris's hand before smiling down at Alyssa. "I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Macmanus." He shook a finger at her, a mildly scolding look in his eyes. "You're not going to push yourself too hard in here, correct?"

Alyssa's eyes widened, opening her mouth to correct Dr. Jones about her name but closing it quickly when Dr. Tam cleared his throat and carefully shook his head. She swallowed hard and looked back at Dr. Jones. "No, sir. I've promised to behave and do what I'm told, but I would really appreciate it if you tell them I can go home tomorrow."

Chris shook his head. "She's so stubborn." He looked at Dr. Jones. "Just take care of her, please."

Dr. Jones nodded, shaking Dr. Tam's hand before the other man left. He looked at Chris. "I assume you're staying?"

Chris nodded. "I am, unless you have a problem with it."

Dr. Jones looked down at the clipboard he carried as he shook his head. "Of course not." He motioned with his hand toward a row of treadmills. "Let's get her over there first so I can get an idea of what areas she needs to work on the most."

Chris pushed the wheelchair over to the treadmills and locked the wheels, moving around to the front to put the foot rests up and help Alyssa stand up. He kept an arm around her waist until he was sure she was steady on her feet and then stepped back slightly to give her room.

Dr. Jones nodded his approval. "Okay, Ms. Macmanus." He turned the nearest treadmill on and set it to its lowest setting. "I want you to get on here and start walking for me. I'm going to put my hands on your rib cage so I can see how your broken ribs are moving and gauge the best way for you to get the most benefit out of therapy."

Alyssa nodded, grabbing the nearest arm of the treadmill with her unbroken hand and slowly stepping onto it. She bit her lip as she started walking, resting her cast on the other arm and trying not to whimper or show any signs of pain. She stiffened slightly when Dr. Jones put his hands on her sides, breathing through clenched teeth and forcing herself to relax. She stared straight ahead and did nothing but walk.

"Okay, Ms. Macmanus. I'm going to keep my hands on your sides. I want you to let go of the sides of the treadmill now and walk as normal as possible," Dr. Jones instructed. He nodded his approval as she did as he instructed, making mental notes of where her pain was the most intense and where her movements were off. Finally, he stepped back and looked over at Chris. "You can help her back into the wheelchair now."

Chris nodded and reached over to help Alyssa off the treadmill and back into the wheelchair. "Are you okay, Alyssa?"

Alyssa took a couple of shallow breaths and nodded her head. "Yeah. I'm fine." She wrapped her good arm around her own waist and closed her eyes, working on getting her breathing under control.

Dr. Jones retrieved his clipboard and wrote down his observations. He studied Alyssa carefully. "I want you to stay tonight to make sure nothing else happens, but I don't see a problem with you going home tomorrow evening. We'll start your therapy tomorrow, and I'll want you to come back here three times a week."

Alyssa nodded, looking gratefully at him. "I promise. I'll do my therapy and everything else I'm told to do. Just let me go home."

"I'll confer with Dr. Tam, and we'll get it arranged for you to go home tomorrow evening," Dr. Jones reiterated. "For now, relax and concentrate on getting better."


	19. Chapter 19

Alyssa groaned lightly as she lay back in her hospital bed, her broken hand resting on her stomach. She glanced over at Chris and gave a slight laugh. "I hope I never have to eat this much food again."

Chris shook his head. "It's doing you a lot of good, Alyssa." He gently brushed some of her hair back away from her face. "You're looking so much better than you did when I first saw you." He placed his empty tray on top of hers and pushed the call button to let the nurse know that they were finished eating.

Alyssa nodded as the nurse came in and asked if she had enjoyed it and had eaten enough. "More than enough," she confirmed. "I swear they're going to have to roll me out of here when I go home tomorrow."

Chris leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Alyssa's forehead as he got up. "I need to go check on something," he explained. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Alyssa watched him leave with the nurse, confused about what he was doing but realizing that he had basically put the past few days of his life on hold for her. She couldn't expect him to do that forever. She closed her eyes while he was gone, dozing but not really sleeping.

Chris came back into Alyssa's room pushing a wheelchair. "You're not asleep, are you?" he asked.

"No," Alyssa replied. She groaned under her breath as she slowly sat up. She looked curiously at the wheelchair. "I already met with the physical therapist, Chris. What's the wheelchair for?"

Chris smiled as he locked the wheelchair so it wouldn't move. He stepped over to the bed and helped Alyssa stand up, guiding her into the chair. He moved her portable IV stand next to the wheelchair. "It's a surprise. You hold the IV stand while I push you."

Alyssa looked up at him with open curiosity but nodded as she wrapped her unbroken hand around the pole of the IV stand. She kept her head down as Chris pushed her down the hallway and into the elevator.

"Relax, Alyssa," Chris said gently. "I'm pretty sure you're going to enjoy this."

Alyssa nodded. "I just don't want to do anything that will end up keeping me from getting to go home tomorrow."

"I would never do that to you," Chris promised her. "I talked to Dr. Tam and made sure it was okay first." The elevator doors opened onto the ground floor, and he pushed her through the hallways until they got to a door that led into an outdoor garden area. Turning around so that he could use his hip to push open the door, he took Alyssa outside just in time for them to be able to watch the sun set.

Alyssa smiled, not taking her eyes off the sunset as Chris locked the wheelchair and lifted her into his arms. She shifted slightly, into a more comfortable position, as he sat down and reached over to pull her IV stand closer. She sighed happily and laid her head over on his shoulder. "It's so pretty…"

"Yes, you are," he whispered. He leaned his head over and rested his cheek against the top of her head. He wrapped his arms securely around her.

Alyssa hesitated, not sure if he had meant for her to hear what he had said or not. She shifted a little again, tilting her face up toward him as the sun finished setting. "Tell me about your family, Chris," she requested.

He tightened his arms around her a little. "There's not really a whole lot to tell," he began to tell her. "There's my dad, Shawn. He's a retired pro-wrestler. My sister, Hayley, followed him into that profession. She's pretty well-known now."

"Wrestling…" Alyssa mused. "Isn't that some kind of fighting?"

Chris nodded. "I'll have to take you to one of Hayley's matches sometime. They're a lot better live than they are on television."

Alyssa sat up and studied him. "You didn't want to get into wrestling like them?"

This time Chris shook his head. "No. Dad owns a ranch down in San Antonio. That's where Hayley and I grew up, and I've always preferred working with the horses."

"What about your mom?" Alyssa asked. "Which does she prefer?"

Chris's eyes darkened. "My mom died when I was a teenager, Alyssa." He took a deep breath. "She preferred raising horses, though."

"I'm sorry, Chris." Alyssa winced as she lifted her arms up to wrap around his neck, knowing what the loss of a mother felt like. She hugged him as tight as she could. "Losing a parent is horrible, especially a mother."

Chris kissed Alyssa gently on the forehead. "When did you lose your parents, Alyssa?"

Alyssa sighed. "Momma was shot and killed when I was six." She shivered lightly, snuggling a little closer on his lap and lowering her voice. "I guess that's when my dad started changing. He started insisting that I take all of these fighting, self-defense, and weaponry classes."

Sensing her uneasiness, Chris pulled her closer. "It's okay, Alyssa. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He carefully stroked his fingers through her hair in an attempt to keep her calm.

Alyssa shook her head. "No," she stated. "You have a right to know so you can decide whether you want to continue spending time with me or not."

"That's an easy one," Chris replied with a soft laugh. "No matter what you tell me, the answer will be yes. I want to keep spending as much time with you as you'll allow me to."

Alyssa gave him a partial smile and kissed his cheek before continuing her story. "All the classes were kind of fun at first, and I learned a lot." She took a deep breath. "Things changed again when I turned thirteen. My dad came into my bedroom the night before my birthday." She started shaking as she remembered him forcing himself on her. "He… He told me that I had to take Momma's place in the family."

Chris barely held back his gasp of horror, rubbing her back. He wasn't sure what to say, unable to imagine any man doing that to his daughter.

"Within three months, he started passing me around to his friends. Eventually it didn't matter if he knew them or not, as long as they paid him enough money for time with me." Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she trembled in his arms.

Chris carefully wiped the tears off of Alyssa's cheeks, kissing her forehead. "Where's your dad now?"

Alyssa took a deep breath. "I don't know what Connor and Emily did with his and his best friend's bodies." She took another deep breath and explained when he looked confused. "Connor and Rebecca found me a couple of days after I ran away from home. They called Dr. Tam and kept an eye on me while I went through drug withdrawal and healed from the last beating I had received."

"That's horrible," Chris finally mumbled.

"I had barely started being able to get up and around when my dad and his best friend busted down the door. I'm not sure how they found out that I was at the mansion, but they came to take me back." She looked up at him. "Murphy and Rebecca started fighting them. I watched my dad aim his gun at Rebecca, and I jumped over their balcony to stop him from shooting her. The next thing I knew, Murphy and Rebecca were pulling me out from under my dad's body and they were all discussing who was going to get rid of the bodies."

Chris nodded. "I heard they had started getting rid of the assholes in the world," he muttered. He tightened his hold on her. "All that matters now is that you're safe, and you have a home where you're loved by everyone in it."


	20. Chapter 20

Alyssa lay on her hospital bed, resting and waiting for Dr. Tam to come in and tell her that she could go home. She had spent most of the morning in physical therapy and was pretty exhausted. Chris had gone outside to call Murphy and check on things at home for her. She sighed and closed her eyes, falling asleep within moments.

Chris smiled when he came back to Alyssa's room a few minutes later to find that she had fallen asleep. He couldn't believe how far she had come just over the three days that she had been in the hospital. He loved her courage and determination. He turned toward the door when someone tapped on it, putting a finger to his lips.

Dr. Tam nodded as he stepped into the room, keeping his voice low as he spoke. "The paperwork is almost finished and ready to be signed. Murphy signed a form earlier this morning that allows you to be the one to sign her out since he can't be here to do it."

Chris nodded. "He asked me to do that when I talked to him on the phone a few minutes ago. Today's the final day of the girls' opening weekend for their play." He looked over at Alyssa and smiled before looking back at Dr. Tam. "I was thinking about taking her out to a quiet dinner and then to see the play before I take her home. Will that be okay?"

Dr. Tam studied Alyssa carefully for several minutes before he nodded his agreement. "As long as you're careful and make sure that she goes slow," he agreed. "She can even put in an appearance at the after party in the backyard of the mansion if she feels up to it, but I don't want her to stay much longer than an hour. I want her to be in bed and ready to go to sleep no later than eleven o'clock tonight."

Chris nodded. "I'll make sure that she is," he promised. He sat down beside the bed as Dr. Tam left the room. He smiled as he relaxed back and watched Alyssa as she slept. Her bruises were beginning to heal, and her natural beauty was starting to shine through.

Alyssa groaned softly as she woke up a little while later. A small smile appeared on her face as her eyes came to rest on Chris. "How long have you been back?" she asked him.

Chris shrugged. "About twenty minutes or so. You didn't take much of a nap. Are you feeling okay?"

Alyssa nodded. "I'm a little sore, but I imagine therapy's going to get worse before it gets better." She looked around and sighed. "I thought I'd be out of here by now. It's almost four o'clock in the afternoon. What's taking Dr. Tam so long?"

"He left about ten minutes ago," Chris began to explain.

"What?!" Alyssa interrupted. "Why didn't you wake me up? Let's go!"

Chris chuckled and held up his hands. "Whoa there," he replied. "Take it easy, Alyssa. He came in to let me know that they were finishing up the paperwork that I have to sign for you to be able to leave and to give me some final instructions on what you're allowed to do tonight."

"Why do you have to sign the papers?" she asked.

Chris reached over and took her hand. "You're seventeen, Alyssa. That's still considered to be a minor. Murphy is listed as your legal guardian now, but he can't be here because of the play. He filled out a paper while he was here visiting you this morning that gives me permission to be the one to sign you out."

Alyssa smiled a little more. "I see," she commented. She shifted over on the bed a little so he could stretch out beside her while they waited for the nurse to bring in the paperwork. "I can't wait to get out of here."

Chris nodded as he slid onto the bed beside her. "I know, but you're still going to have to be on bed rest except for when you're up to do therapy for a few more days." He glanced toward the door as one of the nurses came in with a stack of papers

The nurse smiled as she came in and sat down in the chair that Chris had just gotten out of. "I've got several papers for you to sign, Mr. Michaels," she explained. She handed him a small stack of the papers, along with a clipboard and a pen. She handed Alyssa a smaller stack. "These are your instructions for what you can and cannot do over the next couple of months, instructions for wound care, your physical therapy schedule, and your prescriptions." She looked back at Chris. "There's a pharmacy conveniently located on the first floor. You can get her prescriptions filled down there on your way out."

Chris nodded, handing the nurse back the stack of papers he had signed. "Thanks for the tip." He looked over at Alyssa. "Ready to go, beautiful?"

The nurse smiled at the two of them as she left them alone, calling back over her shoulder. "One of the orderlies will be here to wheel you outside soon."

Alyssa made a face. "I can walk out if you help me, Chris."

"I know you can," Chris agreed. "But it's the policy of the hospital so that they can't get sued if someone trips and falls while on they're property." He picked up a large stuffed teddy bear and helped her sit up on the side of the bed. "Take your bear and behave." He grinned at her.

Alyssa stuck her tongue out at him as the orderly came in, but she allowed them to help her into the wheelchair. She looked up at Chris. "Are you taking me straight home?"

Chris pulled the strap of her duffel bag over his shoulder and grabbed the rest of the stuffed animals that she had been given during her hospital stay before falling into step beside the wheelchair. "You'll just have to wait and see," he answered, teasing her.


End file.
